Kazakhstan, US establish strong strategic partnership - FM

Kazakhstan and the United States have managed to establish "lasting strategic partnership," Kazakh Foreign Minister Yerzhan Kazykhanov said on Tuesday at a news conference marking the 20th anniversary of diplomatic relations between the two countries, Itar-Tass reported.

Kazykhanov, who is in the United States for his first visit as Kazakh Foreign Minister, stressed that Kazakhstan pursues the "multi-vector policy" aimed at maintaining constructive and productive relations with all countries.

This policy of good-neighborly relations is first of all aimed at China and Russia, he said. However, the same course is being implemented with European countries and the US. The United States was the first country recognizing the independence of Kazakhstan, "and we will always be grateful to the American people for that," Kazykhanov said.

He stressed that his country supports many international initiatives of the United States, including the New Silk Road Initiative. Focusing on Kazakhstan's foreign policy plans, the foreign minister said that his country, which was the first post-Soviet state to assume the OSCE presidency in 2010, intends to seek non-permanent membership of the U.N. Security Council in 2017-2018. Besides, Kazakhstan seeks to shortly sign an agreement on cooperation with the European Union, the minister said.

Focusing on Kazakh-US trade, he said it made up 2.5 billion dollars in January-December 2011. This is 26 percent more than during the same period in 2010, he stressed.